Just Dance
by Kroissant
Summary: After receiving a notice to supervise the seasonal gala, Byleth is left with no choice but to attend, abandoning her plans to spend time with her father Jeralt on the weekends. Now it's up to the members from the main three houses to cheer her up. And what better way to do so than through the art of dancing.


**So, I've been meaning to write this fanfic idea for a very long time. It's been rotting in my computer for quite some time now, long before the release of Three Houses. And so, I made a promise to myself that if I could finish at least one route in the game—and get to learn a bit more of each and every character, I could finally gain the courage to write this, refine/edit it and show it to all of you.**  
**For years now, the topic of a prom-like event was in my head, and it helped even more when the White Heron Cup and the ballroom cutscene turned out to be a legit thing in the game. And so, to commemorate on my successful run in the Blue Lions (and am currently on the Golden Deer), here it is!**  
**Hope you all enjoy!**  
**P.S. The selected songs heavily inspired in the dance would be found in the ending notes.**

**That's all for now!**  
**Enjoy reading this dumpster fire of a mess!**

* * *

By the strike of noon, the large doors burst wide.

Within seconds, the entirety of the large, spacious room of the Reception Hall became infested with hundreds of students donning the trademark academic attires, bathed under the soft, fair glow of the chandeliers hanging marvelously above their heads.

Right away, the majority of the students headed straight to the far end of the Reception Hall, where they were warmly greeted by a few of the kitchen staff stationed near the buffet stands, ready and in waiting to serve the endless supply of food, few alcoholic drinks, and desserts for them—many of which were cuisines originating from the three primal countries: the Adrestian Empire, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and the Leicester Alliance; homage to the symbolic pledge of their nine hundred and ninety nine years of unity and partnership.

A woman with strikingly, basil green hair sporting a dreary attire was quick to escape from the large crowd, briskly making her way over to a nearby bench on the left side of the Reception Hall. Plopping her bottom down on the cold, wooden surface, she leaned her back against the wall, her stiff shoulders loosening to a natural degree as she drew in a long breath.

She propped her left elbow on her lap, setting her chin on the knuckle of her shaped fist. Slowly, she motioned her head to stare idly at the paper fastened on the clipboard which she held tightly with her other hand.

And for the umpteenth time, Byleth found herself reviewing the contents of the invitation she and the others received a week ago.

**ATTENTION**

**ALL STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND CAMPUS EMPLOYEES**

**The Church of Seiros would like to take a moment of your time.**

**As of the third week of the Ethereal Moon, the first semester has come to an end.**

**To celebrate such a momentous occasion, we would like to reward each and every single one of our brightest students, faculty member, campus knights, and Church counselors for the valiant feats and efforts they've demonstrated thus far—in the battlefield, academics, and routinely maintenance.**

**Under the direct orders of Archbishop Rhea, it is with great honor to cordially invite every individual—including the Big Three Houses: The Black Eagles, the Blue Lions, and the Golden Deer, to our highly-anticipated annual ball.**

**Date: On the final week of the Ethereal Moon**

**Time: At approximately 2000 military time [8PM]**

**Location: Reception Hall**

**Academic/Faculty Dress Code Required**

**Leave your Weaponry in your dormitory**

**Note:**

**Large servings of food, pastries, and drinks are to be served**

As mentioned on paper, the semester was indeed drawing to a gradual close.

The final exams have been already graded and revealed on the bulletin board for all to see, and with the surprising lack of missions to venture outside—such a rare occurrence of tranquility allowed for the students and faculty member alike to finally seize the chance to unwind and relax to their heart's content, with no looming thought of despair nor impending threats of incoming bandits, raids, or even exams to be concerned of.

In the midst of these peaceful times, Byleth came to a conclusion that it would be best for her to leave Garreg Mach Monastery for a short while.

Her reasoning behind such a sudden motive was simple—as much as she relished her time here, her heart yearned to return to the wilderness and resume her travels together with her father, a routine she was well-accustomed to—spending their days together fishing in a lake they would happen to stumble upon, hone their skills through a collective series of excruciating drills, and if they got lucky, clash with possible bandits on the run and from there, hop from one hamlet to another to ensure the safety of the neighboring villagers.

Life of a mercenary was undeniably erratic, and unpredictable.

And yet despite the hazardous conditions and turmoil, Byleth loved it so much—the excessive thrill of adrenaline pumping in her veins as she fought bravely to defend and protect those who cannot fight back, the blossoming warmth enveloping her as she drank in the many bright smiles of the children, men, women, and elderly as they thanked her and her father for keeping away the bandits from their homes.

…All of that changed when a certain incident led her and her father to Garreg Mach, and before she could even voice out her opinion, it was already too late and the poor woman was left with no choice but to take up a role she severely lacked the basic knowledge of—a Professor.

Truth be told, it was rather difficult for her to adjust properly, not exactly a cake walk compared to her days as a mercenary where most of the time, it was simply a quick hack, slash, and bash of her enemies, followed by a report and after making sure that the people would be alright on their own, would leave the scene, together with her father, with nothing else except the swords on their backs and the plentiful resources they would often be provided as thanks for their services.

Sadly, her duties as a Professor was a different ballgame, one which required immense accountability and leadership. The efforts to keep a confidential, and professional profile, to guide, teach, and offer advice to the students (who were all pretty much around the same age as her, though it wasn't stopping her from viewing most of them as her younger siblings), with their paths still uncertain, all the while ensuring that each one of them would make it out safely and without injury after participating in dire missions issued by the Church of Seiros.

Mulling the thought over, Byleth frowned deeply, folding her arms over her chest as she released an exasperated sigh.

With the end of the semester officially over and after seeking counsel from her other colleagues, Byleth was able to receive more free time than usual, and with each passing day, felt somewhat confident to initiate her plans to have a little quality time with her father.

And then the dreaded letter came.

Byleth closed her eyes as she mentally recalled the memory—it was near the second week of the month and as she was preoccupied with packing a few of her belongings into her bag, there was a knock on the door and upon opening it, remembered how surprised she was when Seteth, Rhea's co-advisor was at her doorstep with an envelope in his hand.

The moment he presented the item toward her, Byleth was quick to accept it, her senses heightening as she was already beginning to suspect that something was amiss. As she quickly tore open the envelope and took out the folded paper from inside, her heart nearly skipped a beat the second she stretched open the paper to come across the iconic symbol of the white dragon on the top margin—the official insignia of the Church of Seiros.

Narrowing her eyes, Byleth carefully read the fine print, her eyebrows pitched together. By the time she had reached the end of the invitation, she was left baffled and heartbroken.

Her long, tiring hours of visiting the library to excessively search for the idealistic places outside Garreg Mach, or possibly anything that would at least pique the interest of her father—she had written them all inside her personal journal, with a list that seemed to go on in four or so pages, a strong indication of her efforts to dedicating her brief vacation to bond with the only relative that mattered most to her.

The fishing trips, the freestyle sparring, camping outside and counting the stars at night, and of father going on and on about her deceased mother, reciting the countless stories of how they fell in love and the many adventures he'd embarked in—deepening the familial connection between them both, strong and unconditional overtime…

…But now, everything—her plans, the nostalgia trip she and her father were supposed to undertake together later this week had been stripped away from her at the drop of a hat.

All thanks to a stupid letter, albeit a bit shorter than the first, appointing her to be one of the supervisors in the ball, most likely to keep an eye on the potential troublemakers who would dare cause a scene…well, that and the fact that her father was tasked to safeguard the Monastery during the time of festivities.

Clicking her tongue, Byleth furiously shook her head.

Aside from the obvious annoyance, there was nothing else she could do but brood over her thoughts. She was here already in the flesh, after all. Might as well make the most of it, right?

Inclining her head, Byleth shifted her attention to the right. Standing near the buffet stand were two of her female colleagues—Madam Manuela and Shamir, who both seemed to be on high-alert and judging from how cross they looked, it seems she wasn't the only one quite fond with the idea of taking up the role as a supervisor.

"I don't blame them," She muttered softly to herself, followed by a long sigh. "I wanna get out of here too,"

And as she switched her focus on the other side of the Reception Hall, she was immediately greeted with two more of her colleagues—Professor Hanneman and Alois. Unlike the previous duo, they were quick on their feet, just in time to seize a brown paper bag from a young male student who was eager to show it to his peers. What came after was the expected lecture from the grown adults, cornering the poor student and his friends until they eventually submitted in defeat, bowing their heads in apology.

Seeing this, Byleth snorted. Serves them right.

As she motioned her head the other way, a flash of green appeared in her field of vision, catching her off-guard.

Blinking a few times, the woman refocused her sights to a familiar pair—her eyes slightly widening as she saw Seteth chasing after his younger sister Flayn, who seemed to be on the run, her hands firmly locked together with Cyril, Shamir's young discipline.

For some reason, Byleth couldn't help but crack a small smile. A light chuckle escaped from her throat as she watched her poor colleague attempting to catch up to them, exclaiming his sister's name out in the open, prompting many heads to turn and stare at the entertainment unfolding before them—and of course, there was Flayn, who chose to ignore his blatant protests, and had quickened her pace, peering over her shoulder and daring to stick out her tongue in retaliation.

And then there was Cyril, the poor boy who got dragged into the chaos, and was left with no choice but to run across the entire space of the Reception Hall, all the while making an effort to keep up with his older friend.

It had only been ten minutes since the ball opened for all to attend, and everywhere Byleth looked, there were already signs of things turning chaotic.

She tightened her hold on her clipboard, knowing full well that she should join to assist her struggling colleagues. As she slowly rose from her seat, her ears picked up an array of laughter, infectious and full of hope.

Unsurprisingly, Byleth knew whom they belonged to. Without another word, she fixed her gaze on a large group of twenty-four students gathered together, and as she took in the sight of them, her eyes softened, a small smile slowly materializing across her lips as the languid feeling bubbling inside of her slowly dispersed.

There they were, her pride and joy—the Black Eagles, the Blue Lions, and the Golden Deer. Despite the great distance between them, the young instructor could still make out their actions and notorious chatter.

What caught her interest was how the three leaders—Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude were conversing animatedly with one another, smiling away as they talked on and on about nonsense.

Taking note of this, Byleth inwardly smiled.

"At least my job isn't so bad," She uttered under her breath, sitting right back down on the bench and tipping her head to the side of the wall.

* * *

"Something is clearly bothering her," Edelgard spoke up, causing the other two leaders to turn their focus on her. "Doesn't she look miserable to any of you?"

Dimitri cocked his head, snuck a glance at their Professor from across the room. He straightened his lips to a firm line. "Should we help?" He asked innocently, his voice soft with concern. As he took his first step forward, a hand was placed on his shoulder, startling him in the process. Pausing in his tracks, the young prince peered over his shoulder, surprised to discover the dark-skinned young man looking back at him with a crooked smirk.

"Now, now, your princeliness," He began, shaking his head while lifting waving his hand dismissively from side to side. "What did we say about being reckless?" As he said those words, from the corner of his eye, he took notice of Dimitri's retainer, Dedue, who gave him a death glare.

But he wasn't alone. Behind him were the prince's childhood friends—Ingrid, Sylvain, and Felix, sizing him up and quite surprisingly, there was Annette and Mercedes who abruptly stopped conversing with the other girls to flash him an intimidating look.

What hit the coffin was the young hard-worker, Ashe, who was already bringing his hand to seize the back of his hood and as he put it on, his glowing eyes pierced through him—and like the rest of the pride, they eyed the laidback leader like how a predator would upon sighting their targeted prey.

Claude could feel the tension beginning to grow, and yet, he chose to counter their disapproving expressions by forcefully lengthening his grin, and clearing his throat, returned his attention to the prince and princess who patiently waited for him to go on with his explanation. "Look, let's take a step back and think about this rationally, 'kay?"

Edelgard scoffed, loud enough for Claude and Dimitri to hear, including some of the members from the Black Eagles and the Golden Deer to take note of. Unsurprisingly, the rest of the others followed suit.

Choosing to ignore the intense stares from those around them, Dimitri was quick to get straight to the point. "What do you have in mind then?" He questioned, with his arms folded over his chest.

And then he saw it—a glimmer.

Though it was subtle, he saw it—a wink of mischievous, one that the dark-skinned young man was quite renowned for. "Got something up your sleeve?"

Claude beamed. "You know it," He confirmed, chuckling away and as he gently removed his hand from the latter's shoulder blade, resorted to rubbing his hands together. "Now, in order for the scheme to work, I'm gonna need everyone to contribute,"

Edelgard quirked an eyebrow. "…Everyone?"

"Yup, everyone!" Claude reaffirmed, and quickly, twirled around to face the large group of students belonging from the three houses. "And I assume you all heard that, loud and clear?" Most of them nodded their heads in response, some averting their gazes elsewhere while a few exchanged confused looks with one another.

Turning back to face the other house leaders, all Claude could do was spread his arms high above his head and cried aloud, "So, who's up for a little bit of fun?"

Both Edelgard and Dimitri snuck glances at each other, their expressions etched with uncertainty.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Claude," Dimitri chided, lowering his voice.

"This scheme of yours better be worth it," Edelgard added in, setting her right hand on her hip and with her other hand, casually brushed away a strand of her long, snow-white hair.

"Relax, you two!" Claude assured them, followed by another light-hearted chuckle. "Keep that up and that pretty little head of yours would surely—"

Again, he felt another death glare from behind, this one presumably coming from Edelgard's retainer, Hubert. Chuckling, Claude went on with his explanation. "Like I was saying, I've got a brilliant idea—guarantee a success," A pause. "You two up for it?"

After another round of exchanging glances at one another, the young heiress and prince eventually yielded.

"What's the plan?"

Claude produced a crooked grin, the words music to his ears. Looking over his shoulder, he exclaimed aloud, urging the rest of the other members to come forth and join them in their small circle. "Okay, everyone! Gather around! We've got a master plan waiting to be told!"

* * *

"Sooooo boring,"

Byleth turned her head to face the mysterious, green-haired girl levitating slightly above the bench, wearing an ancient-looking attire, with trinkets of gold and silver embellishing her crown and deity form. Once the two locked eyes, a long silence ensued.

Rolling her eyes, Sothis nudged the latter on the shoulder. "You're so boring, Byleth," She commented, to which the young instructor smiled and shook her head.

"You can complain all you want, but there's really nothing we can do," Byleth stressed to her, placing her clipboard over her lap and leaning back against the wall. "I'm supervising, remember?"

The green-haired girl groaned. Propping her chin on the knuckle of her fist, she proceeded to cross her leg over the other, nearly resembling the same pose as the latter. "What a lame excuse," Sothis pouted, and as she snuck a glance to her companion, was unsurprised to discover that she was looking elsewhere. Following her line of vision, she noticed a familiar group of students.

"You should go to them," Sothis blurts out.

"Hmm?"

"Are you deaf?" Sothis suddenly cried, growing aggravated. "I said, you should go to your brats!"

Byleth opened her mouth to protest, only to get interrupted.

"We share the same mind, dummy," Sothis points out, wagging her finger. Gesturing her hand to the general direction of the familiar group, she went on with her explanation. "I know how much you want to be with them, so why don't you?"

No response.

Sothis quirked a questionable eyebrow. "Tongue-tied now?"

Byleth heaved a deep breath. Sneaking a peek at her students, she mustered a tiny fracture of a bittersweet smile. "This party is to celebrate their accomplishments, not mine," In a flash, memories invaded her head—the mock battle, the various trials she and the students had to fight as they dove into the battlefield, and then the painstaking realization of how each and every single one of them were to witness their first drop of blood, their first killing spree, and the horrific looks they would send her as their hands, weapons, and armor were soaked with fresh, crimson…

Time and time again, Byleth would remind herself that these students were merely trainees—innocent and inexperienced, and with the graphic display of their first kills, it became apparent to her that despite her own personal feelings concerning the gala, she knew that such a moment was bound to be fleeting. And if she chose to excuse herself, there was no doubt that her students would follow after her as well, completely brushing aside what might be one of the few carefree moments they would ever partake in their lives…

"After what they've all been through for the past few weeks, they deserve this break more than anything," She croaked, collecting herself together as she forcedly pushed the painful memories back into her head. She turned to look at Sothis, and at that moment, there was a sense of understanding between the two of them.

The usual scornful expression Sothis would wear gradually transitioned to that of sorrow. "Byleth," She began, and with the wave of her hand, her childlike physique started to illuminate brightly, with nobody except for her vessel to bear witness of such eerie phenomenon. "If I were you, I'd enjoy this night as much as I can, before it's too late…"

Byleth listened intently to her words, and as she turned her head to look at her, her eyes turned downcast.

Frowning, the young instructor stared at the empty space next to her.

She didn't bother to raise her head when she heard the lovely sound of the musicians playing on stage, nor took notice of some of the students nearby waltzing over to the middle of the large, empty space of the Reception Hall, with an abundance of male and female students preparing themselves, and then patiently waited for the beat to commence their dance.

And when it did, the Reception Hall became quite lively and animated with the waltz of the many students, with some of the faculty taking this time to standby and rest.

"Yo, Teach!"

Recognizing the voice, the young instructor peered up, quite startled to find none other than the self-proclaimed schemer, Claude von Riegan standing before her, with his hand stretch outward for her to take.

She blinked, furrowing her eyebrows as she attempted to process what was happening. Keeping her blank expression intact, she said in a low, monotone voice, "What's up, von Riegan?"

To her surprise, her student threw his head back and laughed joyfully, "Come on, don't be like that!"

Before she could question him any further, Byleth yelped as she was suddenly lifted off from her seat, becoming aware of his firmed grip around her wrist as he pulled her closer to him. Alarmed, she motioned her head toward Claude who simply grinned in return as he retreated a few steps back, ensuring an appropriate distance between the two of them. Ever so slowly, he released his tight grip on her wrist, replacing them with her hand and intertwining them together with his.

Byleth shot him a puzzling look.

"Where are we going?"

"Oh, you'll see," And then he tugged her, leading her straight to the place she was secretly dreading—the dance floor.

She dipped her head downward, blushing madly as she could feel many eyes directed on the two of them as they invited themselves to join the sea of other dancing students waltzing about.

Eventually, Claude slowed down his pace. "Shall we dance?" Without bothering to hear her answer, he gently wrapped one arm on her torso, with his other hand still gripping a bit tight on her hand. From there, he took the lead, swaying to the beat of the slow music and twirling his professor a few times. As Byleth started to ease a bit, loosening her stiff shoulders and letting her guard down—Claude let her go.

Once more, Byleth yelped again by this sudden action, her world spinning around and as she was nearly descending close to the floor, she was alarmed by the unknown pair wrapping themselves around her waist. Blinking her eyes, Byleth gasped, collecting her breath. Slowly, she peered up.

"…Raphael?"

"PROFESSOR!" The gentle giant bellowed, erupting into a fit of laughter. "Should've seen that one coming, huh!" With a large smile etched on his lips, he added, "Don't you worry! We've got this!"

The older woman smiled, only to be replaced quickly by a frown. "Wait, what do you mean by 'we'—"

Raphael gently released his hold on her, ushering her to proceed to her next dancing partner.

"Shall we?"

"Lorenz?" Byleth cried, not quite comprehending what's going on. "Tell me, what in Goddess's name is going on here?" To her frustration, the pretentious periwinkle-haired noble twirled her around, passing her over to yet another familiar face, Ignatz.

"Steady now, Professor," The young bespectacled young man said to her, swaying her gently from side to side. "In a few minutes, you'll be in for a surprise,"

Byleth pitched her eyebrows together. "A surprise?" She echoed, still at a loss for words.

And as she was twirled around for the third time, Ignatz set her free and once she managed to stabilize her balance, Byleth found herself alone with no more partner to dance with. Brushing away her dizziness, the young instructor fluttered her eyes wide open.

There, right in front of her, was a mass of students—and squinting her eyes a bit to get a better look, it didn't take long until she recognized them to be the members of the Black Eagles and the Blue Lions.

"What's…going on?"

Her ears picked up the sudden change of the music—what used to be a slow and steady arrangement of wind-based instruments, quickly transitioned to an energetic one—upbeat and modern.

Everywhere she looked, it seems like the students from the other classes were quite familiar with this as they were already demonstrating movements too foreign for her to decipher.

* * *

At the start of the beat, Edelgard marched forward, swaying her hips as she strode with confidence. Following after her came the beautiful Dorothea and attentive Petra, who both exchanged knowing looks at one another as they proceeded to mimic the same action as their leader.

In response to this came the march of the lions, with Dimitri heading in together with his childhood friends—Sylvain, Ingrid, and Felix at his side.

"Boys, let's get in formation!" Ingrid cried aloud, and in response, the three males behind her whipped out the brooms provided to them by one of the house staffs, and in unison, began rotating it around as they leisurely strolled closer to close the large gap separating them with the other group. With each consecutive beat of the music, they would throw the brooms to the ground, pretend to sweep, and then collected the item to recommence with the twisting and turning.

Edelgard narrowed her eyes, unyielding and determined. With her gaze set on the young prince, she dared to approach the clearing and started to do the catwalk as if she owned the floor, followed by Dorothea and Petra. As the former opera singer and exchange student started busting out some moves, Edelgard whipped her long, snow-white hair, and dipped a bit downward, smiling smugly as if provoking those who sought to outmatch her in the challenge.

From the sidelines, Claude stood close to Byleth with a microphone in his hands, naturally taking up the position as the commentator. "Well, look who we have here! Our one and only princess, Edelgard von Hresvelg, spicing up the dance floor!" Turning to where the Blue Lions were, he gestured a hand to them and added, "Could his Princeliness do something to keep up the pace? Or will he allow the princess to claim victory?"

On the other side, Dimitri and his childhood friends went on with their synchronized choreography, but before they could attempt to kick it to the next level, an unexpected contender came in, joining the dance.

"Here it goes!" A feminine voice rang, surprising everyone.

"Go, Annie!" Mercedes cried, cheering her best friend in the background.

"Annette?" Dimitri blurted out, and like the rest of his childhood friends, stopped what he was doing and stood there, mouth gaping as they watched their little ball of sunshine dancing beautifully by herself. From the way she was prancing around with a big smile on her face, it seems she was having the time of her life…with the price of unknowingly challenging Edelgard and the Black Eagles in the process.

Luckily, Annette was a pretty good dancer, and in a few seconds, surprised the others as she brought her hands to loosen her curls, allowing her short marmalade locks to cascade freely along her shoulders, swaying her hips and closing her eyes as she danced away.

"Oh, ho! And what have we here?" Claude began, letting out a whistle. "The cutie becomes the beauty!"

For the next few minutes, Annette owned the floor, but as she neared the conclusion to her short solo, Dimitri and the other members of the Blue Lions noticed Edelgard and her house beginning to surround her.

Noticing this, Dimitri turned to face his team. "We need to back her up," He insisted, and before anyone could even suggest an idea, he went straight into the fray—"Leave it to me!"—voluntarily entering the dancefloor to join up with Annette, taking her hand and twirling her around a few times. As they exchanged smiles and a high-five, with Annette offering him the chance to take up the spotlight while she danced away to assist him in the back, Dimitri inhaled a deep breath and collecting himself, proceeded to perform the most gracious dancing he could conjure up…only to fail miserably due to his inexperience with modern dancing.

Behind him, the members of the Blue Lions, including the spectators, held mixed reactions.

"What…is he doing?" Ashe asked, tipping his head.

"Oh no, Milord…" Dedue muttered under his breath, shaking his head in dismay.

"I can't watch this," Felix cursed, looking elsewhere while raking his hair in frustration. "That boar is making a laughingstock out of us,"

Ingrid and Sylvain snuck glances at each other, clearly cringing over the sight of their childhood friend—a prince, no less, as he boldly executed such a frightening rendition of a modern-style dance.

Even Claude, and Byleth turned radio silent as they watched the poor prince continuously attempt and fail at his excessive frolicking.

To their shock, Mercedes took to the stage, hurriedly taking Dimitri and Annette by the hands and together, the three of them formed a circle, raising their arms high and laughing joyfully as they executed a traditional folk dance. Slowly but surely, her efforts proved to be a success as their movements returned in sync.

"Aaaand here's Mercedes from Blue Lions to save the day!" Claude exclaimed, with his mouth a bit too close on the microphone and causing most of the students to cringe in their spots due to the sudden projection of his voice through the speakers. "The competition is coming in hot, hot, hot! Will Edelgard and Black Eagles find a way to counter?"

Shortly after he delivered those words, Hubert jumped at the opportunity to assist Edelgard, though technically mimicked the same movements which the previous trio were doing the whole time—striding around, whipping their hairs, and often going further as to generate seductive winks, and blowing kisses in order to attract the audience…and not long after he went along with that, Ferdinand stormed in, proudly proclaiming his full name—"I AM FERDINAND VON AEGIR!"—and proceeded to squat his knees and with his arms crossed, proceeded to perform a kicking dance he learned since he was a child.

"Ferdinand, what are you doing?" Edelgard seethed, glaring at him for disrupting her and the girls' (and Hubert's) synchronized dancing. "Go back to the sidelines!"

"Hah! And let you take the glory?" The redhead noble countered back, raising his head with his pointed nose high. "Not on my watch!"

"Ooooh! Seems like there's drama in the Black Eagles," Claude points out, snickering and as he shifted his eyes back to the other team, he added, "Looks like the Blue Lions have the upper hand now! But can they take it home?"

Sylvain grinned. "I'm on it!"

And off he went, with Ingrid hot on his tail. When Dimitri, Mercedes, and Annette dispersed away from their small circle, they welcomed the three childhood friends of their dancing team through a series of high-fives. Once the redhead found himself standing under the spotlight, he made no hesitation to start strutting moves, leaping around and all the while, winking at his admirers—girls and boys alike—within the crowd that circled around them. Meanwhile, there was Ingrid, and after cracking her knuckles, soared into the air and began performing acrobatic stunts such as somersaults, and after pulling it off successfully, gained a standing ovation by the entire audience.

From a distance, Edelgard released a snort, unamused by this.

When she instructed Bernadetta to come and join them, the poor girl cowered away, putting her hoodie on and shaking her head to refuse her offer. Even Lindhart didn't seem to take much interest with the challenge either, preferring to be away from the dance floor and choosing to stay by Bernadetta in case she had fainted without them noticing.

Edelgard narrowed her eyes, shaping her hands into fists.

The clock was ticking.

There was a few more minutes left in the competition and from the looks of it, the Blue Lions were going to win.

"I will prevail…" She muttered through clenched teeth.

And then, an idea struck her.

It was a risky move, but if they could try to regain a bit more support from the crowd again, they might be able to—

Edelgard inhaled a sharp breath.

There was only one person she could rely on at this point—her secret weapon.

Pausing in her catwalk, the snow-white haired princess raised her hand above her head and by the snap of her fingers, _he_ came.

In a blur, the second son of Count von Bergliez arrived on the dancefloor, and after proclaiming a dramatic battle cry, did what nobody in their right mind could ever pull off—breakdancing.

"Holy shit! Look at him go!" Claude burst out with glee, only to get smacked on the head by both Byleth and Hilda for getting sidetracked. Nursing the back of his head, the dark-haired man cracked a sheepish grin, and redirected his full attention to commentate on the impressive moves of Caspar's dance. "—What a surprising twist! The Black Eagles has pulled out their trump card, Caspar von Bergliez!" As he points this out to the audience, Edelgard peers up to see Dimitri, waving her hand as she flashes him a smug look. In retaliation, the young prince tightened his fists. "The competition is nearly over in under ten minutes! Can the Blue Lions still make it out victorious? Or will the Black Eagles carry the day?"

Right on cue, Ashe came to the rescue and upon reaching the very center of the dancing circle, with a mischievous look across his face, put on his hoodie, and started moving his feet backwards lightly and smoothly, while seemingly walking forwards. He repeated the action over and over, oblivious to the many girls fangirling all over him.

And as a last resort, the remaining two members of the Blue Lions—Felix and Dedue, were eventually dragged into the fun. After much persuasion, Dimitri and Mercedes were able to successfully usher the gentle giant to come over and join them on their folk dance. Not too far away from them, Annette and Sylvain dragged the poor swordsman to join them on their freestyle dancing, to which he admittedly ended up complying—but hey, at least he wasn't atrociously failing at it, unlike a certain prince.

"Great job, guys!" Claude applauded his friends, laughing and smiling away. "I believe it's time to address the true winner of this dance-off competition!" Despite his declaration to stop the dancing altogether, it didn't seem like the others were listening to him.

"Hey, guys? The dance off is over now! You can stop!" Claude points out to them, tapping the microphone a few times to ensure that it was working and if anybody could actually hear him. "Hello? Is this thing on?"

Next to him, the pink twin-tailed girl rolled her eyes. "Claude, just give up," She drawled out, setting her hands on her hips. Jerking her chin to the catastrophe before them, she flashed him a crooked smirk, "If we can't beat them, why not join them?"

The dark-haired man blinked, registering her words. Slowly, the corners of his lips curved upwards. "You're right," Looking over his shoulder, he spotted the rest of the other members of the Golden Deer. "Come on, everyone! Let's show these losers to fear the deer!"

With Claude recklessly tossing the microphone to a random student nearby and seizing hold of the young instructor's wrist, off he went, together with his fellow friends which made up the Golden Deer, into the depths of the chaotic battlefield between the Eagle and Lion.

At that point, Byleth couldn't keep track of what was going on. On her right, Edelgard and the Black Eagles managed to convince the shy recluse and lazy prodigy to dance with them, with most of the girls coming together to assure and support poor Bernadetta who was attempting to do her best to keep up with their pace.

On the opposing left, Dimitri and the Blue Lions were actively trying to outdo their rivaling house, with the prince going as far as to make an effort to execute another modern dance, though was luckily stopped by Dedue, Sylvain, and Ingrid who cornered him, forbidding the poor man to try another embarrassing act.

And here she was, with the Golden Deer making themselves known, and increasing the cheers and outstanding ovations resonating throughout the Reception Hall.

Lorenz of all people was the first of many to demonstrate a proper waltz, bowing his head and after getting rejected by a few girls from the audience, resorted to taking Leonie as his dancing partner, who would occasionally step on his feet and start bickering. As if it couldn't get any better, their dance was cut short the minute Claude slipped himself through the small space between them, a comedic display of a grand entrance and as soon as he skidded to a halt, squatted down on his knees, and started beatboxing on the spot. Surrounding him were Hilda and Raphael, and getting used to the catchy beats, were quick to invite Marianne and Ignatz to free-style dance with them.

-Completely deferring their original plan to make Byleth happy, it seems their new mission was to try to outmatch the other. On the bright side, the young instructor never suspected their grand scheme from the start (even if she did, she wouldn't have a clue how to properly react nor with what exactly she was getting herself into).

Fifteen minutes had passed and soon, the chaotic dancing among the Three Houses had greatly reduced. Those who could no longer dance retreated back to the sidelines, while others who still had enough energy to dance into the night, were surprisingly joined by another unexpected cast of characters—the faculty members.

"Come on, Brother! Let's dance!" Flayn persisted and taking the older man's hands, led him to the dance floor, light on her feet and ready to shock him with the moves she learned from one of her classmates.

Minutes later, Professor Hanneman and Madam Manuela joined in, and similar to Edelgard and Dimitri, were trying to outshine each other to claim the spotlight.

* * *

Realizing that she was still standing on the dance floor, Byleth stealthily made her way back, close to the edge of the crowd in order to watch most of her students from the different houses merging in and having a blast, whilst on the other spectrum, there were her colleagues who were miserably failing, laughing, and smiling at their best efforts to dance.

Too immersed with the scene playing in front of her, Byleth failed to notice three figures running up to her.

"Teacher!"

"Professor!"

"Hey, Teach!"

Turning around, the older woman was surprised to find the three house leaders approaching her. Though their voices seemed to be drowned out by the excessive loud music in the background, Byleth already knew what they were planning to ask her.

"Ready to start the Congo Line?"

And as expected, the three of them pulled out their hands, reaching out to her in waiting.

Looking up, Byleth took a moment to study each of their faces, silently recalling the last words Sothis told her.

"_If I were you, I'd enjoy this night as much as I can, before it's too late…"_

Byleth cracked a smile.

Moving forward, she stretched her hand out to them, "Let's get this show on the road then,"

* * *

As a Professor, it was her duty to protect her students.

Despite how absurd the ball was to her, in the end, it proved to be a source of motivation for her to keep going.

The past would remain in the past, and like old memories, her days as a mercenary alongside her father would no longer exist, but in its place, there was hope—warmth, and welcoming…and a place of repose, and she found them all, in the form of the Three Houses.

With that in mind, another thought occurred to her.

Only a couple of months had passed—the first semester ending by next week.

Knowing that the feeling of excitement bubbling inside her stomach. She could only hope that such a moment like this could last forever.

* * *

**...So, yeah. I'm not even going to explain what happened-going from a very, descriptive take on Byleh to a gigantic crackfic (especially with the brooms. Not sure what happened there but I'm just going to keep it there). Other than that, I have no regrets!**

**Not sure if you guys noticed this but almost at the start of a student's introduction, the quote is actually canon-it's from one of their dialogue from the game!**

**Also, here was the playlist I used for the dancing:**  
**Xenia Pax - Bang Bang (Edelgard and Black Eagles)**  
**Xenia Pax - Kicking the Door (Dimitri and Blue Lions)**  
**Party Rock is in the House Tonight (starting from Caspar breakdancing)**  
**Pitbull - Timber**  
**Taylor Swift - Shake It Off**  
**Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk (Claude's entrance)**

**To my fellow readers, thank you for supporting me thus far! Comments and kudos are widely appreciated! (let me know your favorites-mine would have to be Dimitri's poor attempt at modern dancing and Ferdinand kicking around)**

**As always, I will do my best to deliver great content in the future (both in the felannie and three houses community).**

**That's all for now!**  
**As always, have a wonderful day!**


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